Nia Soto
Writer / Hugo, Seville + Peanut Zapata
Nia Soto
Nia Soto is a writer with a passion for convention subversion and aesthetic storytelling, always aiming to bring a cinematic feel to the pieces she creates. Having received her Master's in English from Tulane University, she has an unbridled love of learning and literature which endlessly inspires her work. When she's not writing, she's likely making some fantastical piece of art or playing a cozy video game with her two dogs.
<The Macguffinterrogative>
Nia Soto
This is a getting to know you feature. How knowable are you?
I would say I'm pretty knowable! Even though I'd love to say that I'm as mysterious as my ever-changing aesthetic, I'm honestly an open bubbly book.
Do you have a motto? Or can you cram your worldview into one sentence?
I'm not sure if it's a motto per se but I live by the ideas that I'm willing to try most things at least once and putting the best energy out there, even on your worst days, will come back to you tenfold in karmic ways.
What do you do for fun?
I love to create all sorts of art, especially painting, as well as spending a lot of time cooking! I also have two dogs that I love to take on walks and runs in the park. I'm hoping to dedicate more time this year to working on my poetry as I haven't written as much recently as I'd like.
Pet peeves? Or things you’ll go out of your way to avoid?
Hmmm this one is a hard one. I have sensory issues so certain textures and sounds are things I'll always go out of my way to avoid. My friends would joke that my pet peeve is people who just babble on about nothing and never make a point...I might have to agree.
Favorite meal?
A traditional Puerto Rican dinner of maduros (fried plantains), rice and beans, and pernil! If I have to cook though, my current favorite is crispy pork belly and fried mashed potato bites.
Go out or stay in?
Probably staying in, I love a cozy gaming night cuddled up with my dogs and a good sweet treat! Sometimes I really like going out but it's usually for a specific event.
When did you start writing? Who or what are influences on your creative work?
Ironically, I hated writing when I was younger because my ideas were so jumbled and difficult to get onto the page. I didn't know at the time but I had AuDHD so my ideas just felt impossible to track when it came to writing while the formulaic and memorization heavy subjects felt like a breeze. I started writing poetry in middle school since the lack of restraints and rules allowed for me to get those ideas out in a way that was comprehensible.It wasn't until I got into this really great program called Prep 9 in 7th grade that writing began to make sense. Genuinely, my English teacher there changed my life, shoutout Ms.Hoyt for advocating for me so I could become a better writer and graduate from the program! She totally changed my writing from pages of flitting from idea to idea to actually following a chronological order and creating structured arguments. That spurred me on in High School, I took a bunch of English classes when I had open credits and met another amazing English teacher named Mr.Loeb who encouraged my passion for poetry and Shakespeare. He actually told my mom freshman year that I "hated stupid people" because I would go wide-eyed in his Intro to Literature class when people would provide analysis that was fully unrelated to the quote being analyzed. It was hilarious because I wasn't aware of the surprised face I was making in class. I originally wasn't going to major in English in college but ended up double majoring in it and absolutely loving it. My favorite professors were Karisma Price and Michelle Kohler, two poetry professors who not only encouraged and helped me truly hone my poetry craft but helped connect me with visiting poets every year so I could learn as much as possible. I've been lucky to work with Franny Choi, Khadijah Queen, Kiki Petrosino, and, my all time biggest poetic inspiration, Natalie Diaz.
Who is your favorite villain?
This is an obscure pick but Yzma from The Emperor's New Groove and, by extension, Kronk. I think they're one of the funniest villain duos and no one can forget Kronk's legendary lines about Kuzco's poison.
What are your best and worst travel experiences?
My best travel experience was the last time I visited my family in Puerto Rico, it was a trip to take my grandma back to be cared for by her siblings and it was nice to see her as her younger self for a little bit. My worst travel experience was probably when I flew back from Scandinavia, the trip had been great but I fell asleep on the plane and the person behind me tried to push his chair back farther than it goes and I woke up feeling my head being squashed and a lady yelling for him to stop...it was a great trip otherwise though!
Dogs or cats?
Dogs. Hands down. I have the cutest retired service dog who is a miniature schnauzer and my current service dog in training is an australian shepherd.
What kind of music are you into?
Mostly alternative, pop-punk, and rock music but I am slowly adding some country to my playlists.
Are you a movie buff? Any binge watching recommendations?
Honestly I don't watch many movies, the ones I do watch are horror movies mostly. When it comes to binge watching though, I have plenty of suggestions! If you never watched Adventure Time or Gravity Falls, I recommend them as good nostalgic yet deep shows. A non-traditional suggestion is Forged in Fire, I don't know why but I just find it to be mesmerizing watching the smiths work. For trashy TV, 100% the newest season of Love Island because it was EVENTFUL to say the least.
Would you rather have an unscratchable itch or spend a year living entirely without human contact?
I don't think I could handle the unscratchable itch for the rest of my life, if it was for a year then I think I would rather do that. If not, a year alone beats a lifelong itch as long as I have my dogs!
What's the best piece of advice you've ever received?
The best piece of advice I've ever received is to always make time for your passions. Even when I'm stressed or really busy, I make time for the activities that bring me joy as it is the only way to keep a consistent balance in life and maintain a consistent positive flow of energy going!
You’re working on Hugo, Seville. What drew you to this project?
Well I love working as a part of the Peanut Zapata team and wanted to find other ways to get involved with Macguffin Co. While I was looking through the upcoming projects, I saw the description for Hugo, Seville and was immediately drawn in by the mention of Flamenco. My maternal grandfather was Spanish and lived in Spain for a while with my grandmother and they both were Flamenco dancers for a period. One of my prized possessions is actually the pair of their castanets which were handmade and painted in Spain before I was born. Growing up, I was a Flamenco dancer myself wanting to follow in their footsteps and have always had a passion for dance in general. I think dance is a great driver of community-building and self-expression which is why I was excited to see the journey(s) Hugo has in store as he builds community and finds himself through dance.
Thank you. No further questions.
